Well system with siphon



June 19, 1962 c. c. WILLIAMS WELL SYSTEM WITH SIPHON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 iled Aug. 29, 1960 INVINT OR. 64 m g/e0 Cl WZ/AMS June 19, 1962 c. c. WILLIAMS 3,039,532

WELL SYSTEM WITH SIPHON Filed Aug. 29, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 C4 IFFOED C M44 44/ 75.

INV EN TOR.

Unite States Patent 3,039,532 WELL SYSTEM WITH SIPHQN Clifford C. Williams, 20 Henderson Ave., Joliet, Ill. Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,484 7 Claims. (Cl. 166-75) This invention relates to a well system with siphon, and more particularly to an arrangement wherein a siphon drains the portions of a well system located above the frost line or in locations subject to freezing of water therein.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction, inexpensive, easy to install, and which is automatic and trouble-free in operation.

A further object is to provide a device of this char acter wherein a siphon tube extends through the upper part of a well casing and the discharge leading therefrom, and serves as a means to drain the parts through which it extends, so that they are automatically emptied following cessation of operation of the pump in the well and thus danger of freezing of the well is eliminated without need for providing an adapter connected to a pump casing below the frost line as a take-off for the discharge.

A further object is to provide a well system wherein a well casing is provided with a cap from which a water supply tube is suspended within the casing and with which cap is also connected a water discharge line leading to a storage tank located below the frost line or in a place, such as the basement of a building, in which it is protected against freezing, in which system is mounted a siphon tube extending through both the suspended line within the case and the discharge line to the desired depth with the intake of the siphon in the suspended conduit terminating adjacent a check valve in that conduit located at -a position in which it is protected against freezing of water therein.

Other objects will be apparent fication.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a part of a well system, illustrating the manner in which the siphon is arranged therein;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating a modified form of cap for the well housing and the relation of a siphon tube therein; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of another modified embodiment of well system having a siphon.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIG. 1, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the numeral designates a well casing of any selected diameter which projects slightly above ground level, as indicated at 12. A suitable cap 14 is mounted on the upper end of the wall casing and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner as by set screws (not shown) or the like. The cap 14 has a central connector portion 16 which may be in the nature of a fitting projection to which is secured in any suitable manner, as by screw-threads or by other connection means, the upper end portion of a water delivery conduit or pipe 18 of smaller diameter than the casing 10 and preferably centrally positioned therein. The conduit 18 mounts a pump (not shown) of any selected type, which pump is adapted to deliver water upwardly in the conduit 18. The pump will preferably be of the type wherein the pump motor is located within the wall casing, and the cap 14 may be provided with an aperture (not shown) accommodating electric lines leading thereto, in the manner well understood in the art. Also, the cap may have an aperture therein provided with a removable closure from the following speciice (not shown), which last named aperture accommodates the insertion of a measuring stick into the well casing to measure the depth of the water therein.

Conduit 18 is provided with a check valve 20 located at a portion protected against freezing of water therein, as by spacing thereof below the level 21 of the frost line or at a position above the frost line but subject to maintenance of a temperature thereat above freezing during the most frigid weather conditions as a result of heat transfer Within the well casing between the portion thereof below the frost line and the portion thereof at which valve 20 is located. The check valve 20 is designed to accommodate upward flow of water therepast upon operation of the well pump and to prevent downward return flow of water therepast. As here shown, the check valve 20 includes a housing interposed in the conduit 18 and providing a valve seat 22 at the lower end thereof upon which a flap valve 24 is adapted to seat, said flap valve being pivoted to the housing at 26. It will be understood, of course, that this construction of check valve is illustrative and is not intended to be limiting.

The cap 14 is so constructed as to provide a passage communicating with a depending conduit or tube portion. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the cap 14 may have integrally formed or otherwise connected thereto a gooseneck portion 28 communicating with the bore of the conduit 18 and providing a depending connector portion 30 to which may be screw-threaded or otherwise connected a conduit section 32. The conduit section 32 will preferably be of short length, terminating spaced above ground level 12. A union or other coupling 34 may be connected or mounted on the free end of the conduit 32 and provides means for detachable connection thereto of the upper end of a Water discharge conduit 36 which extends to a Water collection tank 38. In the construction shown in FIG. 1, a cross-passage 40 connects the conduit 36 and the upper part of the tank 38 at a point spaced above the bottom end of the conduit 36 which is closed by a cap or colsure 42. The arrangement is such that a small quantity of water is trapped in the lower end of the conduit 36 at 44 below. the level of the passage 40. The tank or receptacle 38 will be positioned in a protected location either below the frost line 21 or within the basement of a building provided with heat to insure against freezing of its contents. The tank 38 may be of any suitable type, for example, one in which the Water level is regulated 'by a float 46 extending to a control 48 illustrated schematically and preferably mounted in a conduit 50 through which stem 52 of the float extends to actuate the control 48. The control 48 will preferably be associated with the Well pump (not shown) in a manner to control operation of the pump, as well understood in the art. In the event the container 38 is of the type in which air is trapped and compressed to provide means for discharge of water therefrom, the control 48 may constitute an air release, as well understood in the art.

I provide a siphon tube having one run 54 thereof within the upper end of the conduit 18, a cross portion 56 thereof located within the cap part 28 and a portion 58 located within the discharge conduits 32 and 36. The lower end portion of the run 54 of the siphon may extend below the level of the frost line 21 or terminate in a location protected against freezing of water. Thus the lower end of the portion 54 may extend into or adjacent the valve casing 20. The lower end portion 60 of the siphon may be immersed in the small body of water 44 at the lower end of the discharge conduit 36, as shown, or may terminate at any position in conduit 36 spaced below the level of the lower end of siphon run 54. Any

suitable means (not shown) such as clips or brackets, may be employed to position the siphon tube, but the use of positioning means is not essential andmay be eliminated, if desired. The lower ends of the siphon tube portions 54 and 60 are open, and the tubes themselves are preferably of a diameter small compared to the diameter of the conduits 18 and 36. Thus, in cases where the conduits 18 and 36 and the cap portion 28 are of one inch diameter or larger, the siphon tube 54, 56, 58 may have an inner diameter in the order of three-eighths inch. The siphon tube may be formed of plastic material so as to provide flexibility thereof accommodating threading thereof through the passages and conduits so that it assumes the position illustrated in FIG. 1.

In operation, whenever the pump operates to replenish the supply of water in the container or receptacle 38, as incident to the operation of the control 48, water will flow upwardly in the counduit 18 through and past the check valve 20 into the passage 28 of the cap and thence through the discharge conduits 32 and 36 for delivery into the receptacle 38 through the tank inlet passage 40. Simultaneously, water flows through the siphon 54, 56, 58. Water flow into the receptacle 38 continues until the receptacle is filled to a level causing operation of the controller 48 to stop the operation of the pump. When the pumping operation stops, water in the discharge conduits 32 and 36 and in the uppermost part of the cross-passage 28 of the cap will drain into the receptacle 38. How ever, a siphoning action will continue within the siphon tube 54, 56 and 58 after the conduits 32 and 36 and the cross-passage 28 have been emptied by gravity drainage, and this will serve to deliver from the upper part of the conduit 18 above the valve 28 the water which otherwise would stand therein following pump operation.

While the arrangement illustrated with the end portion 60 of the siphon immersed in a body of water 44 is preferred, it is not essential and the device will function to drain the conduit 18 effectively as long as the level of the bottom end of siphon run 58 is below the level of the bottom end of siphon run 54.

FIG. 2 illustrates a Well cap 14' of more compact construction in which the cross-passage part 28 thereof constitutes a cavity within the cap rather than a separate gooseneck portion, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The functioning of this arrangement is similar to that described in FIG. .1, however.

In cases where a well is located at some distance laterally from a tank and it is desired to avoid the labor and expense of digging a deep trench between the well casing and the container, an installation as illustrated in FIG. 3 may be utilized. In FIG. 3 a well casing 70 mounts well cap 72 anchored thereto by suitable securing means, such as a set screw 74. The cap 72 serves to suspend a conduit 76 having a check valve 78 interposed therein at a level so related to the frost line 80 as to be protected either by being below the frost line or being within a portion of the casing at which heat transfer occurring within the well casing protects the valve from freezing. The well casing extends above ground level, and the cap 72 is exposed and mounts in pending relation thereto a bent conduit 82 to which is connected by a coupling 84 a laterally extending conduit 86 positioned slightly below ground level so that only a shallow trench need be dug rather than a trench of a depth equal to or greater than the depth of the expected maximum or lowest level of frost line 89. The conduit 86 will preferably have a slight slope as it extends away from the well casing so that water may drain therefrom.

Conduit 86 is connected by a connector 88 with a conduit having a portion 90 bent or inclined at a steeper angle than the conduit 86 and having a substantially vertical portion 92 adapted to be connected by an elbow 94 with a conduit 96 extending to a tank or receptacle 98 located below the frost line 80 or in a protected position, for example, within the basement of a building, in which 4 event the pipe 96 extends through a basement wall 180 preferably at a level below the frost line. A siphon conduit, preferably formed of flexible tubing having an inner diameter in the order of three-eighths inch, has one run or end portion 102 located within the delivery pipe 76 of the well and extends through the cap'72, the bent conduit 82, the inclined conduit 86, and the inclined conduit portion into the depending conduit portion 92 to terminate at a level at 104 lower than the level of the lowest end of the conduit 102.

The arrangement is such that the siphon tube will form regular bends at each point at which change of direction thereof occurs, and such curves will be of the largest diameter permissible. Thus it will be obvious that the siphon tube may contact the uppermost part of the cavity in the cap 72 between the conduits 76 and 82, will follow the portion of greatest radius of the bore of the conduit 82, will fol-low the lowermost wall portion of the inclined conduit portion 86, and will contact the inclined portion of the conduit 98 at its upper wall adjacent to the bend between the conduit openings 90 and 92. In the latter, however, the point of contact of the siphon tube with the upper part of the conduit 92 will be at a level below the level of the portions of the siphon tube within the conduit 86 which rest on the bottom of that conduit portion, by vir ue of the increased angle of inclination of the conduit part 90 compared to the conduit 86. For example, the conduit 86 may have an inclination in which there is a fall or drop of one-half inch per foot, whereas the inclination of the conduit part 90 may be substantially greater, for instance, from two to two and onehalf inches per foot. The conduit part 90 will preferably be of a length of several feet so as to space the band between the conduit parts 90 and 92 a substantial distance from the inclined conduit 86. In this way, there will not occur any point at which the upper cross portion of the siphon is upwardly return bent, particularly at the intermediate discharge conduit portions 86 and 90, and complete drainage will occur through the siphon in a normal siphoning operation at all times in the manner described above.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes in construction may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a Water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, a check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe carried by said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, a water receptacle communicating with said discharge pipe, said check valve and receptacle being located in positions below the level of said cap and protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the crosssectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve and at a level above its opposite end.

2. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, a check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe suspended from said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, a water receptacle communicating with said discharge pipe, said check valve and receptacle being located in positions protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the cross-sectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube extending through said discharge pipe terminating at a lower level than the level of the lower end of the siphon tube portion in said delivery tube.

3. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a Water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, a check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe carried by said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, a water receptacle, a water-containing trap communicating with said discharge pipe and said receptacle, said check valve, trap, and receptacle being located in positions below the level of said cap and protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the cross-sectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve, one end of said siphon tube being immersed in said trap and terminating below the level of the other end of said siphon tube.

4. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, a check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe suspended from said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, 21 water receptacle communicating with said discharge pipe, said check valve and receptacle being located in positions protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the cross-sectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve, said receptacle being spaced laterally from said casing, said discharge pipe having a laterally extending inclined portion intermediate its length, a portion of said siphon tube extending through said inclined portion and being inclined toward said receptacle, the portion of said siphon tube in said discharge tube terminating at a level lower than the end of the siphon tube located in said delivery pipe.

5. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, 21 check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe suspended from said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, a water receptacle communicating with said discharge pipe, said check valve and receptacle being located in positions protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the cross-sectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve, said discharge tube including an upper portion, an intermediate inclined portion and a substantially upright lower portion, said siphon tube extending through said discharge pipe terminating at a level below the level of the opposite end of said tube.

6. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing, a Water delivery pipe suspended from said cap within said casing, a check valve in said delivery pipe spaced below said cap, a discharge pipe carried by said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe, a water receptacle communicating with said discharge pipe, said check valve and receptacle being located in positions below the level of said cap and protected from freezing of water therein, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-sectional dimension small compared to the crosssectional dimension of said pipes, the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above and adjacent to said check valve and above the level of the opposite end of said siphon tube, said discharge tube including an upper portion, an intermediate inclined portion and a substantially upright lower portion, said intermediate discharge tube portion having a portion adjacent said lower portion which extends at a greater inclination than the remainder thereof.

7. In combination, a well casing, a cap mounted on the upper end of said casing above the frost line, a water delivery pipe in said casing and carried by said cap, means located below the frost line for retaining Water in the upper part of the said delivery pipe, a water receptacle located below the frost line, a discharge pipe carried by said cap exteriorly of said casing and communicating with said delivery pipe and with said receptacle, and a siphon tube extending through and between said delivery and discharge pipes and of a cross-section small compared to the cross-sectional dimension of said pipes, the lower ends of said siphon tube terminating below the frost line and the lower end of the portion of said siphon tube within said delivery pipe terminating above the level of the opposite tube end and above said water retaining means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 629,277 Slack July 18, 1899 2,793,699 Tubbs May 28, 1957 2,877,849 Morrison et al Mar. 17, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 163,931 Austria Sept. 10, 1949 

